What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?

Geographic Information Systems is a computer-based tool that analyzes, stores, manipulates and visualizes geographic information on a map.

Market Boundary Files

Since the inception of the Cellular Market Areas in 1982, the Federal Communication Commission has been assigning area based radio licenses. A common trait among all of these licensing areas is that every area is an aggregation of county-equivalent entities as defined in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-4, 1990 August 31.

Cellular Market Areas

The Cellular Market Areas (CMAs) were created from the 1980 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the Office of Management and Budget (1-305), the Gulf of Mexico (306), and Rural Service Areas (RSAs) established by the FCC which do not cross state borders (307-734). These RSAs include Puerto Rico (723-729), U.S. Virgin Islands (730-731), Guam (732), American Samoa (733), and Northern Mariana Islands (734).

Service:

  • Cellular Radiotelephone Service - 47 CFR § 22.909 (824-894 MHz: Blocks A-B)
  • Interactive Video and Data Service (IVDS) - 47 CFR § 95.803 (Segments: A (218.0-218.5 MHz) and B (218.5-219.0 MHz).

Map Files:

CMA

Basic Trading Areas

The Basic Trading Areas (BTAs) are based on the Rand McNally 1992 Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide, 123rd Edition, at pages 38-39, with the following additions: American Samoa (492), Guam (490), Northern Mariana Islands (493), San Juan, Puerto Rico (488), Mayaguez/Aguadilla-Ponce, Puerto Rico (489), and the United States Virgin Islands (491).

Service:

  • Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) - 47 CFR § 21.924 (2150-2162, 2596-2680 MHz: Channels 1, 2(2A), E1-E4, F1-F4, H1-H3)
  • Narrowband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.102 (901-902, 930-931 MHz: Channels 25-26)
  • Broadband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.202 (1850-1990 MHz: Blocks C-F)
  • Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) - 47 CFR § 101.1007 (27.5-31.3 GHz: Blocks A-B)

Map Files:

BTA

Major Trading Areas

The Major Trading Areas (MTAs) are based on the Rand McNally 1992 Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide, 123rd Edition, at pages 38-39, with the following exceptions and additions:

  1. Alaska (49) is separated from the Seattle MTA and is to be licensed separately.
  2. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (50) are to be licensed as a single MTA-like area.
  3. Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (25) are to be licensed as a single MTA-like area.
  4. American Samoa (51) is to be licensed as a single MTA-like area.

Service:

  • Narrowband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.102 (901-902, 930-931 MHz, 940-941 MHz: Channels 18-24)
  • Broadband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.202 (1850-1990 MHz: Blocks A-B)
  • Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) 900 MHz - 47 CFR § 90.661 (896-901/935-940 MHz: Channel Blocks A-T)

Map Files:

MTA

Regional PCS Areas

The Regional Narrowband PCS service areas, which were created by Commission staff, are an aggregation of MTAs into 5 regions.

Service:

  • Narrowband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.102 (901-902, 930-931 MHz, 940-941 MHz: Channels 12-17)
  • Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) 800 MHz - 47 CFR § 90.903 (806-821/851-866 MHz: Spectrum Blocks D-V)

Map Files:

RPC

Economic Areas

The Economic Area service areas are based on the Economic Areas delineated by the Regional Economic Analysis Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce February 1995 (1-172), with the following additions: Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (173), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (174), and American Samoa (175). The Commission has also designated the Gulf of Mexico (176) as an additional Economic Area. However, the Location and Monitoring Service (LMS) is currently the only service which implements the Gulf of Mexico (176) as a separate license area.

Service:

  • General Wireless Communications Service (GWCS) - 47 CFR § 26.102 (4660-4685 MHz: Channel Blocks A-E)
  • Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) 800 MHz - 47 CFR § 90.681 & 90.903 (806-821/851-866 MHz: Spectrum Blocks A-C)
  • 220 MHz - 47 CFR § 90.761 (220-222 MHz: Channel Assignments A-E)

  • Location and Monitoring Service (LMS) - 47 CFR § 90.7 (3 Spectrum Blocks (1) 904.000-909.750 MHz and 927.750-928.000 MHz; (2) 919.750-921.750 MHz and 927.500-927.750 MHz; and (3) 921.750-927.250 MHz and 927.250-927.500 MHz)

  • 38.6-40.0 GHz Band (39 GHz) - 47 CFR § 101.64 (38.6-40.0 GHz: Channels 1-14 with paired blocks A-B) (Change see FCC 99-179 July 14, 1999 News Release | MO&O)

Map Files:

BEA

Major Economic Areas

The Major Economic Areas which were created by Commission staff are an aggregation of BEAs into 52 regions, including the Gulf of Mexico (52).

Service:

  • Wireless Communications Service (WCS) - 47 CFR § 27.6 Paired Channel Blocks A (2305-2310/2350-2355 MHz) and B (2310-2315/2355-2360 MHz)
  • 929 MHz Paging - 47 CFR § 90.493 (Channels A-L: 929.0125-929.9625 MHz)
  • 931 MHz Paging - 47 CFR § 22.531 (Channels AA-BK: 931.0125-931.9875 MHz)

Map Files:

MEA

Regional Economic Areas

The Economic Area service areas are based on the Economic Areas delineated by the Regional Economic Analysis Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce February 1995 (1-172), with the following additions: Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (173), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (174), and American Samoa (175). The Commission has also designated the Gulf of Mexico (176) as an additional Economic Area. However, the Location and Monitoring Service (LMS) is currently the only service which implements the Gulf of Mexico (176) as a separate license area.

Service:

  • Wireless Communications Service (WCS) - 47 CFR § 27.6 Unpaired Channel Blocks A (2315-2320 MHz) and B (2345-2350 MHz)

Map Files:

REA

Economic Area Groupings

The Economic Area Groupings also known as Regional Economic Area Groupings for 220 MHz which were created by Commission staff are an aggregation of BEAs into 6 regions excluding the Gulf of Mexico.

Service:

  • 220 MHz - 47 CFR § 90.761 (220-222 MHz: Channel Assignments F-J)
  • 700 MHz - 47 CFR § 27.6 (746-764 and 776-794 MHz: Blocks A-D)

Map Files:

EAG

VHF Public Coast Station Areas

The VHF Public Coast Station Areas (VPCs) which were created by Commission staff are an aggregation of BEAs into 42 areas, including the Gulf of Mexico (4). VPCs 1-9 are called Maritime VPCs and VPCs 10-42 are called Inland Areas. The Maritime VPCs are an aggregation of one or more BEAs and the Inland Areas are defined as exactly one BEA.

Service:

  • VHF Public Coast Stations 47 CFR § 80.371(c)(1)(B)

Map Files:

VPC

Automated Maritime Telecommunications System Areas

AMTSAs are based on, and composed of one or more of, the U.S Department of Commerce's 172 Economic Areas (EAs). In addition, the Commission treats Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Gulf of Mexico as EA-like areas.

Service:

  • VHF Public Coast Stations 47 CFR § 80

Map Files:

AMT

218-219 MHz Service (formerly known as IVDS)

IVDS is a point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-point, short distance communication service. An IVDS licensee may transmit information, product and service offerings to its subscribers and receive interactive responses. This service was originally known as the Interactive Video and Data Service or IVDS. The Commission redesignated this service as the 218-219 MHz Service in 1998, in the course of modifying the rules to maximize the efficient and effective use of the band. See Amendment of Part 95 of the Commission’s Rules to Provide Regulatory Flexibility in the 218-219 MHz Service, Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order, WT Docket No. 98-169, RM-8951, FCC 99-239, 15 FCC Rcd 1497, 1499 ¶ 2 (1999), on recon., Order, FCC 99-372, 14 FCC Rcd 21,078 (1999).

Service:

  • 218-219 MHz Service (formerly known as IVDS)

Map Files:

IVM

Nationwide Area (NWA) 1990

The 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands, (NWA255) Cite: Nationwide Area delineated by the Federal Communications Commission, 59 FR 14115 (March 25, 1994).

Service:

  • Narrowband PCS - 47 CFR § 24.102 (901-902, 930-931 MHz, 940-941 MHz: Channels 1-11)

Map Files:

NWA

Partial Economic Areas (PEA) 2010

The Partial Economic Areas, which were established in the Incentive Auction Report and Order, divide EAs into 416 service areas. Cite: Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Provides Details About Partial Economic Areas, GN Docket No. 12-268, Public Notice, DA 14-759 (rel. June 2, 2014).

Service:

 

  • 600 MHz Band - 47 CFR § 27.6(l)

Map Files:

PEA

County-equivalent 1990

Included in this file are only those county-equivalent areas that the FCC licenses on a regional basis. These areas include, in addition to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. The Gulf of Mexico is also included as a county-equivalent-like area.

Map Files:

Counties

State-equivalent 1990

Map Files

States:

Other FCC-Defined Areas

Map Files:

Included in this file are only those state-equivalent areas that the FCC licenses on a regional basis. These areas include, in addition to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Iowa Service Area (ISA)

If you have any questions, please contact us via email at WTBGISTeam@fcc.gov.

Bureau/Office: 
Wireless Telecommunications

Updated: 
Friday, November 13, 2015